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“How many are My servants whose deeds have become veils between them and their own selves, and who have been kept back thereby from drawing nigh unto God, He Who causeth the winds to blow.”Bahá’u’lláh, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts

This blog has 322 posts…

I mention that because this blog will live as long as the Internet exists; and, the way things are looking, that will be for a very long time…

I also mention the number of posts because I’ve worked very hard to make each of those posts worth reading for as long as the Internet exists—each, even if about a particular topical event, has spiritual principles expressed which never die…

I won’t be writing any more posts on this blog (I’m working on my memoirs…) but the blog’s usefulness won’t cease…

There’s a search box in the right panel…

Put some words of interest to you in the box and read the posts that come up…

I guarantee you’ll find wisdom—wisdom I don’t have—wisdom in the words I chose to include from others…

Also, I’m going to change my usual format. I normally end a post with a Spiritual Quote. Today, I’ll begin with two quotes; to set up a context for the video…

The first quote broadly considers the global situation the video addresses:

“It has become clear that the powers of the institution of the nation-state, once the arbiter and protector of humanity’s fortunes, have been drastically eroded. While national governments continue to play a crucial role, they must now make room for such rising centres of power as multinational corporations, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations of every kind, and huge media conglomerates, the cooperation of all of which is vital to the success of most programmes aimed at achieving significant economic or social ends. Just as the migration of money or corporations encounters little hindrance from national borders, neither can the latter any longer exercise effective control over the dissemination of knowledge. Internet communication, which has the ability to transmit in seconds the entire contents of libraries that took centuries of study to amass, vastly enriches the intellectual life of anyone able to use it, as well as providing sophisticated training in a broad range of professional fields. The system, so prophetically foreseen sixty years ago by Shoghí Effendí, builds a sense of shared community among its users that is impatient of either geographic or cultural distances.”Commissioned by The Universal House of Justice, Century of Light, p. 132

The second quote is what Shoghí Effendí so prophetically said over sixty years ago:

“A mechanism of world inter-communication will be devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvellous swiftness and perfect regularity.”Shoghí Effendí, The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 203

Enjoy the video…

Please leave Your thoughts and feelings in the Comments.Let’s have a conversation !

Tens of thousands of Bahá’ís have lost their lives because they won’t recant…

According to a Bahá’í source: “Currently, there are at least 31 Baha’is in Iran’s prisons, including the seven people who comprised the leadership group known as the Friends in Iran. Those seven have now been in prison more than a year, awaiting trial.” During that time, they have had no access to their legal counsel…

Their trial is currently set for October 18th. The charges against them include two that could bring the death penalty…

“At this writing, the expectant voices of Bahá’ís can be heard despite the persecution they still endure in the land in which their Faith was born. By their example of steadfast hope, they bear witness to the belief that the imminent realization of this age-old dream of peace is now, by virtue of the transforming effects of Bahá’u’lláh’s revelation, invested with the force of divine authority. Thus we convey to you not only a vision in words: we summon the power of deeds of faith and sacrifice; we convey the anxious plea of our co-religionists everywhere for peace and unity. We join with all who are the victims of aggression, all who yearn for an end to conflict and contention, all whose devotion to principles of peace and world order promotes the ennobling purposes for which humanity was called into being by an all-loving Creator.

“In the earnestness of our desire to impart to you the fervour of our hope and the depth of our confidence, we cite the emphatic promise of Bahá’u’lláh: ‘These fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the “Most Great Peace” shall come’.”The Universal House of Justice, 1985 Oct, The Promise of World Peace, p. 5

Please leave Your thoughts and feelings in the Comments.Let’s have a conversation !

From Machines Like Us: “The world faces a compounding series of crises driven by human activity, which existing governments and institutions are increasingly powerless to cope with, a group of eminent environmental scientists and economists has warned.”

And, quoting the scientists they cite in the article, they add:

“The major powers must be willing to enforce an agreement – but legitimacy will depend on acceptance by numerous and diverse countries, and non-governmental actors such as civil society and business…To address common threats and harness common opportunities, we need greater interaction amongst existing institutions, and new institutions, to help construct and maintain a global-scale social contract…”

“…a global-scale social contract…”

They also point out some of the well-woven crises: “Energy, food and water crises, climate disruption, declining fisheries, ocean acidification, emerging diseases and increasing antibiotic resistance…”

A global-scale social contract to resolve these and many other intertwined crises will take, in my opinion, a massive change of heart on the part of all the people involved…

Change of heart…

I’m going to integrate our normal, closing Spiritual Quote into the body of this post…

From the Bahá’í International Community:

“The central theme of Bahá’u’lláh’s writings is that humanity is one single race and the day has come for its unification into one global society. Through an irresistible historical process, the traditional barriers of race, class, creed, faith and nation will break down. These forces will, Bahá’u’lláh said, give birth in time to a new universal civilization. The crises now afflicting the planet face all its peoples with the need to accept their oneness and work towards the creation of a unified global society.

“Bahá’u’lláh outlined certain fundamental principles upon which this new world civilization should be founded. These include the elimination of
all forms of prejudice; full equality between the sexes; recognition of the essential oneness of the world’s great religions; the elimination of
extremes of poverty and wealth; universal education; a high standard of personal conduct; the harmony of science and religion; a sustainable
balance between nature and technology; and the establishment of a world federal system, based on collective security and the oneness of humanity.”Bahá’í International Community, 1992, Magazine – The Bahá’ís

Massive Change of Heart………

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Please leave Your thoughts and feelings in the Comments.Let’s have a conversation !

My goal here is to bring social and cultural issues to light and attempt to raise them to the level of Principle…

Too often we take the facts of a situation and try to find a resolution at the level of the facts themselves. This rarely works since facts alone won’t reveal reasons and values and goals that the facts are merely pointing to…

Solutions happen when values are considered; especially if the solution involves more than one person…

So, all that said, here’s a Pantene commercial; yes, the shampoo. I wish more products had such socially valuable ads…

Spiritual Quote:

“See how, in this day, the scope of sciences and arts hath widened out, and what wondrous technical advances have been made, and to what a high degree the mind’s powers have increased, and what stupendous inventions have appeared.

“This age is indeed as a hundred other ages: should ye gather the yield of a hundred ages, and set that against the accumulated product of our times, the yield of this one era will prove greater than that of a hundred gone before. Take ye, for an example, the sum total of all the books that were ever written in ages past, and compare that with the books and treatises that our era hath produced: these books, written in our day alone, far and away exceed the total number of volumes that have been written down the ages. See how powerful is the influence exerted by the Day-Star of the world upon the inner essence of all created things!

“But alas, a thousand times alas! The eyes see it not, the ears are deaf, and the hearts and minds are oblivious of this supreme bestowal. Strive ye then, with all your hearts and souls, to awaken those who slumber, to cause the blind to see, and the dead to rise.”‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 111

Please leave Your thoughts and feelings in the Comments.Let’s have a conversation !

From the social media guide, Mashable: “Web video can be an especially effective way for charities to get the word out about their cause….the most creative videos tend to be the most memorable and leave a more lasting impression.”

And, even though the world needs more organizations working toward social good, it’s becoming clear that there needs to be a stronger unifying force among these organizations—a wide and deep human wave of unified feeling—a stronger sense of the Oneness of Humanity…

While we’re all working to strengthen our sense of unity, let’s look at three of the videos from the Mashable site that dramatically and effectively present their message.

The first is from DropTheWeapons.Org. This is an interactive video that let’s you decide which way the action goes…

This next video, from Green For All, uses creative sound to underscore the message…

Our final video shows two Nerdfighters who took over UTube to help charities raise money…

Spiritual Quote:

“Question. — Through what means will the spirit of man — that is to say, the rational soul — after departing from this mortal world, make progress?

“Answer. — The progress of man’s spirit in the divine world, after the severance of its connection with the body of dust, is through the bounty and grace of the Lord alone, or through the intercession and the sincere prayers of other human souls, or through the charities and important good works which are performed in its name.”‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 240

Please leave Your thoughts and feelings in the Comments.Let’s have a conversation !

From The Hub: “In 2008, political violence erupted throughout Zimbabwe as a result of highly contested national elections. Between May and July alone, local organizations estimate that state-sanctioned groups abducted, raped, tortured, and beat over 2,000 women and girls due to their political affiliations.”

From BNet: “More needs to be done to deal with an epidemic of rape in the world’s conflict zones and to help victimized women, Doctors Without Borders said Thursday, reporting that its staffers alone treat an average of 35 cases every day.” This report was filed in 2007 and the numbers have clearly risen since then…

Among all the crises in the world, the rape of our mothers, sisters, daughters, and wives is a crime that should shame All men…

Zimbabwe is one country, the problem is global; but, you can help in Zimbabwe by signing this petition…

A Video From Witness – One Very Strong Woman Tells Us About Her Rapes

Spiritual Quote:

“The Bahá’í International Community welcomes the opportunity to speak to agenda item 11 [Consideration of contemporary trends in and new challenges to the full realization of all human rights of women and men, including those of persons belonging to vulnerable groups] at this historic World Conference. We hope that comprehensive consideration of the human rights of women will continue at all future gatherings for the advancement of human rights, and we support the resolution adopted by the Commission on the Status of Women at its 1993 session urging that women’s rights and concerns be considered under all substantive items of the provisional agenda for the World Conference on Human Rights.

“The persistence and growth of violence directed against women, both personal and institutional, is largely attributable to the traditional exclusion of women from processes of development and decision-making. A profound adjustment in humanity’s collective outlook is needed, guided by the consideration of universal values and spiritual principles. Legislation is needed which lends practical expression to the equality of the sexes by dealing with the particular injustices which women face.

“Domestic violence is a fact of life for many women throughout the world, regardless of race, class, or educational background. In many societies traditional beliefs that women are a burden make them easy targets of anger. In other situations, men’s frustration is vented on women and children when economies shrink and collapse. In all parts of the world, violence against women persists because it goes unpunished.”Bahá’í International Community Statement to the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights; Vienna, Austria 14-25 June 1993

Please leave Your thoughts and feelings in the Comments.Let’s have a conversation !